NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51
Tap tap. The sound of sparks added a unique silence.
In the quiet atmosphere, I quietly talked with Charlotte.
As a person, I also have a reluctance to bear losses.
If possible, I conveyed that we should resolve things positively through conversation, that we should just pay a fair price and buy the girl.
If that doesn’t work out…
“I shall comply.”
With just a look, Charlotte understood my intentions.
After finishing the planning, Charlotte approached Gohan, who was deeply asleep.
His ears, sharp as his night vision, picked up our whispered words.
“…I’m supposed to be off duty.”
“Master has something to discuss.”
Gohan stretched widely with a yawn.
Thinking he was cool enough, he sat down without asking more.
“What’s the topic?”
“To get straight to the point, I want to purchase a slave.”
“A slave?”
While the two of us were talking, Charlotte sprinkled purple powder amidst the crowd.
A sleep powder infused with mana.
It was a precaution in case someone pretended to be asleep.
Since we were quite far from here, Gohan didn’t pick up on it.
I pulled out the pouch of money I had prepared in advance.
“Five gold coins. That should be more than enough.”
“And the reason?”
“The reason is…”
“The reason for wanting to buy my slave.”
“Because it’s pitiful. That’s all there is to it.”
Gohan’s brow furrowed.
“Pitiful? That slave isn’t just any slave; she’s a witch. Are you saying a witch is pitiful now?”
“A witch is still a human.”
“Ha! What a noble scholar we have here. I have no intention of selling my slave.”
With those words, Gohan stood up abruptly.
Seeing his back made me feel conflicted.
The existence of slave branding is also seen in this world.
Given that the slave trade is legal and magic is rampant, it was only natural.
There are two ways to remove a slave brand.
Either the owner willingly gives it up, or they kill that owner.
If the conversation dragged on any longer, it might lead to a noisy outburst.
I took precautions with the sleep powder, but if noise arose, they might wake up.
There was no choice.
“Charlotte.”
The moment I spoke.
“─!”
As the released magic pierced the back of Gohan’s neck, I immediately covered his mouth.
Gohan died without even a whimper.
“….”
Even looking at the corpse didn’t bring any feelings.
I had already rationalized things in my way.
Gohan was a monster who abused a little girl and treated her as a slave.
Moreover, he could well become a knight threatening my dungeon, just as he claimed.
While it doesn’t provide a strong enough justification, that’s why it’s ‘rationalization.’
I gave a signal to Charlotte.
The signal pointed to the girl who was asleep.
Charlotte understood immediately, waking the girl and bringing her to me.
The girl stood before me expressionlessly like a doll.
“What’s your name?”
“….”
“Can’t you speak?”
“….”
No wonder she hadn’t said a word in the carriage.
It wasn’t likely that she was mute; I suspected she was just traumatized.
Seeing her abused, I felt there was no other explanation.
I checked on the sleeping people before removing my helmet.
The girl flinched at the sight of my true form.
Her level immediately turned pitch black.
Was it unnecessary to show my true self as a sign of trust?
“Don’t be afraid. Child, I mean you no harm. On the contrary, I want to help you.”
Grrr—
The growl of my stomach interrupted the conversation.
“Charlotte.”
“Yes.”
She really is perceptive.
Charlotte subtly offered jerky, and after some hesitation, the girl accepted it.
She must have been quite hungry to drop her guard like that.
“This woman is also a witch. She’s one of the few humans who can empathize with your pain. So, let your guard down.”
As the girl chewed the jerky, she nodded.
Hmm. Surprisingly quick progress.
I was worried she’d panic and get scared, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
“I know a place where you can be safe. A cabin where witches live. It should be fine since you’re a witch too.”
After finishing the piece of jerky, the girl nodded.
She didn’t seem completely resigned, but she listened to my words positively.
Looks like she has some quirks too.
“For now, we will protect you. Don’t be wary. And Charlotte.”
“Yes.”
Charlotte took out a bunch of jerky and handed it to the girl.
That looked like everything she had brought with her.
“Did you leave some for yourself?”
“I’m fine.”
She certainly is kind, aside from humans.
Food isn’t limited to jerky, and it felt good to look after that starving child.
The girl, perhaps having opened up a bit, sat on Charlotte’s lap.
She munched on the jerky in her embrace.
Wait a sec.
I was the one who reassured her, so why is she cozying up to Charlotte?
“Oh, right.”
Honestly, the Death Knight’s face is the epitome of dread.
A sign of trust or whatever—it must just be scary for that little girl.
I just underestimated how my own face looks.
There’s my face, and Charlotte being a witch also played a part.
Or maybe it’s because it was Charlotte who offered the jerky.
As I donned my helmet again, Charlotte used necromancy to turn Gohan into the Undead.
I thought it was for replenishing power, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
Thunk!
Charlotte punched Gohan in the face.
The punches were merely the beginning, kicking him and poking his eyes—it was absolute mayhem.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
…Each hit seemed to carry genuine feelings.
Was she bottling up those remarks from the carriage?
Eventually, Charlotte, stopping her punching bag therapy, looked down at the girl.
“You can hit him as much as you want. By the way, this is his weak point.”
“….”
Thunk!
Without any hesitation, the girl delivered a swift kick. Right to Gohan’s groin.
That’s some fine teaching for a kid.
***
Morning arrived the next day.
“Hoo.”
“Gohan has sacrificed himself for us….”
“Oh dear… How unfortunate to be bitten by a zombie among the undead.”
In the depths of the forest, Gohan’s body was found surrounded by corpses of zombies and ghouls.
From a glance, it was clear he had fought off the undead.
Gohan, who died after battling a horde of undead to protect everyone at dawn.
The mercenaries held a moment of silence before Gohan’s body.
It was bothersome, but they decided to dig a pit and hold a simple burial.
One of the merchants was a devout believer, reciting passages needed for the future ceremony.
After everyone said their prayers, they ended the ceremony with a brief eulogy.
Gohan’s remains were buried alongside Charlotte’s useless undead.
In the hearts of all, Gohan would be remembered as a noble knight.
And thus, the flawless crime succeeded.
In a tacit manner, the girl seemed to have become my slave.
Around us, given that he was a knight’s property, everyone agreed it made sense for another knight to have her.
In truth, that was just an excuse; everyone was cautiously keeping an eye on me.
After collecting the camping supplies, trade resumed.
From then on, trade consisted of uneventful days.
Since we were on a safe road, there were no bandit attacks or monster ambushes.
No suspicions about me that I had feared.
During all this, Charlotte cared for the girl wholeheartedly.
Seeing them like good sisters warmed my heart.
Later, when Charlotte mentioned wanting to name her, I suggested the name ‘Elin’ instead of her having the zero naming sense.
Sometimes she’d wave to the bat (Isabella) visible atop the trees, and thus peacefully, nine days passed.
Whoosh—
A biting cold wind surged in.
Of course, I didn’t feel the chill; I just appreciated the scenery.
According to those around me, as we got closer to the borderlands, the cold was even harsher.
On the majestic walls, I could see soldiers patrolling.
Once inside those castle walls, if identities were discovered, it would be like trying to recover bones.
So I had a plan in place.
“Are we getting off here?”
“Yeah.”
I suddenly announced I’d get off just before the Count’s territory’s checkpoint.
As a merchant, it didn’t make sense at all.
Wouldn’t it be easier to just be checked together and go on our way? That’s probably what they were thinking.
“I have a friend among those waiting at the checkpoint behind.”
“Ohhh… I see.”
Without any needless detaining or further questions, it was a clean finish.
The three of us got off the carriage without lingering.
Once we got out, our view was filled with a crowd.
The passengers lined up for the checkpoint created a massive congestion; one could easily lose each other here.
“This much could lead to becoming a lost child. Charlotte, hold on tight to Elin’s hand and don’t let go.”
Charlotte firmly held Elin’s hand and followed behind me like a little chick.
We walked through the crowd, moving against the flow of people.
To bypass the Count’s territory and head to Myeolji, we had to get through this crowd first.
“Boss.”
Upon hearing Charlotte’s call from behind, I merely turned my head.
“I could also get lost.”
“….”
Did she want me to hold her hand?
Now that I looked closely, her hand was fidgeting about.
Stopping for a moment, I silently stared at Charlotte.
Unable to endure my gaze, Charlotte stealthily hid herself among the crowd.
Whether it was from the cold or not, her face seemed flushed.
***
After circumventing the borderland barriers, we reached Myeolji.
A biting cold like nothing before enveloped us.
The wind howled fiercely, snowstorms raged, and all we could see were snow drifts and birch trees.
At first glance, it resembled the Siberian plains, but beyond lay the monstrous beings of the frozen wasteland.
In an environment impossible for humans to survive, monsters swarmed, creating areas unclaimed and untraveled.
There was a reason it was called Myeolji, having crossed over those treacherous terrains.
“Ugh— I think I need to cut back on the bats. I’ve been living on them for almost ten days.”
As we arrived at Myeolji, Isabella returned to her original state.
Truly, at level 88, she was unfazed even by the harsh cold.
Worn woolen coats were all that provided warmth, yet Charlotte remained calm.
The mana in her body helped her maintain her body temperature.
Elin, too, felt less trembling thanks to Charlotte’s warmth spell.
“But boss, are you planning to take this little girl to the Shrine of Faith?”
At Isabella’s words, Charlotte also looked at me earnestly.
It felt like she had formed a strong bond during this time.
Well, I had considered incorporating not just Elin but the rest of the witches from the Ash Witch cabin as well.
Witches naturally excel in the art of magic.
It was only fitting to bolster our strength befitting the name of The Seven Lairs.
“I’ll think about it.”
For now, finding the Ash Witch’s cabin was an urgent priority.
Not just for Elin, but also to locate the ancient dungeon.
“The Ash Witch knows the location of the dungeon’s signpost.”
In other words, the witch’s cabin was the key to finding that signpost.
Searching for an ancient dungeon signpost in this barren land wouldn’t be easy.
However, if Charlotte was with us, finding the witch’s cabin would be much smoother.
Myeolji, with its monster waves hitting every year.
Settling in the middle of it was tantamount to surviving off a cliff.
One must always make preparations against monster ambushes.
“As I said, explore for mana.”
“Yes.”
The Ash Witch had set up a barrier based on magic to conceal her cabin.
Given it was a barrier, a higher-tier mage could likely detect it.
Charlotte’s mana detection had extended far beyond the ordinary range.
In fact, thanks to the barrier, it had become a whole lot easier to locate it.
– Grrr!!
[Lv. 35]
[Lv. 41]
[Lv. 45]
The monsters we encountered while moving were merely minor nuisances.
I took the opportunity to clean them up with the holy sword click as I advanced.
About an hour passed since then.
“I found it.”
Charlotte turned and walked rightward.
We followed her until our steps stopped.
“It’s right ahead.”
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing but empty air.
Even when Isabella waved her hand, there was nothing to grasp.
It just demonstrated how well-crafted the barrier was.
“No need to dispel it.”
At my words, Charlotte tilted her head.
Before she could ask, I continued speaking.
“Release the intrinsic dark mana.”
The Ash Witch’s intrinsic dark mana.
Once Charlotte’s intrinsic dark mana touched the barrier, the Ash Witch would recognize that a witch was her visitor.
The Ash Witch bore blind favor for other witches.
It’s hardly surprising that should a player be a witch, she would assist in conquering the Dragon King’s Tomb.
Charlotte, without suspicion, extended her hand into the air and released her dark mana.
The response appeared immediately.
Slowly—
First, a haze resembling steam began to form, revealing the cabin.
Charlotte blinked in surprise, her eyes wide.
Then, with a look of inquiry, she cast a discreet glance at me, to which I merely nodded.
“I’ll step forward first.”
First impressions are crucial.
Meeting as witches would lessen the wariness, so it was best if Charlotte knocked on the door.
Knock knock.
As Charlotte knocked, the door swung open abruptly.
Through it appeared a gray-haired witch.
[Lv. 80]
“You’re a witch too?”
The Ash Witch, Selina.
In contrast to Charlotte, she was a witch with a broad smile.
However, strangely enough, her smile gradually faded once she saw Charlotte.
Naturally, my gaze shifted to Charlotte.
If there were any signs, that startled emotion was visible in her expressionless face.
“Charlotte? Could it be that it’s really you?”
What the hell.
Do they know each other?
Without a second thought, Selina rushed forward and pulled Charlotte into an embrace.
My brain couldn’t keep up with this sudden turn of events.
Though I didn’t know the details, it was clear they shared a close relationship.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for such a hug.
“…You led me here knowing everything, huh?”
As I turned my head, Charlotte spoke while looking at me, momentarily rendering me speechless.
Wait, what did I do?